Pilot signal for electric heating devices



n. P. FARRELL AND 0. E. MOON.

PIL OT SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC HEATING DEVICES,

APPLICATION FILED OCT 16. 1920.

1,425,462 Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

' States, residing at Oxnard, in the county of umrao STATES PATENT omca nAYr. FARRELL AND cLAUpE E.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RAY P. FARRELL and CLAUDE E. MOON, citizens of the United Ventura and State of California, have invented ce'rtain new and useful Improvements in Pilot Signals for Electric Heating Devices, of which the following is alspecification. v

This invention relates to an improved pilot signal for electric heating devices and has as one of its principal objects to provide an arrangement whereby the fire hazard in' cident to the use of such devices will be materially reduced.

The invention has as a further object to provide an arrangement wherein the pilot signal will be energized as long as the circuit of the heating device is closed so that the operator of the device cannot, at such time, likely forget and leave the circuit closed to cause overheating of the device with resultant fire.

. 85 -mbre particularly illustrating the mounting And the invention has as a still further object to provide a signal employing a low voltage signal lamp and wherein the presenceof the lamp upon the heating device will not affect the efiiciency thereof.

Other and incidental objects-will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings: yFigure 1 'is aside elevation showing an elelctric iron embodying our improved sig- Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the transformer employed, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section showing the mounting of the guard for the signal lamp employed. k

In the present instance, we have. shown 7 our improved pilotsignal in connection with an electric 1ron.-' However, as will be better appreciatedas the description proceeds, the

invention is .welladapted for use in connection with other types of electric heating devices and we 'do .not, therefore, wish to be limited in this regard. Thebaseofthe iron is indicated at 10 and fitting upon said baseis the usual cover 11. Projecting through said cover are the circuit posts 12, these posts being electrically connected in the ordinary manner with the heating element or coil of the iron. Upon the lower end portion! each of the posts is threadeda pair ofnu t'fiti -is provided s w l be a once a pr c ed, it wee reference. to Fi moon, or oxnmn, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A g, 8, 1922 ApplicationQflled 0ctober16, 1920. Serial no.-417,s aa. 4

member, as suggestedin dotted lines in Figrent, the coupling member'being carried by a suitable conductor. Mounted upon the cover of the iron is a handle bracket comprising arms 14 and 15 joined by a connectlng portion 16 through which are engaged the usual cap screws-securing the bracket in position. .In order that as little heat as possible' may be transferred to the handle and the u perparts of the-iron, boxes 37 are provi ed. ontop of the cover 11 and upon these bosses the handle portion 16 is made to rest. Supported between the upper ends of said arms isa handle 17.

In carrying the invention into efiect,.we employ a transformer capable of changing transformer is preferably enclosed} in an oblong casing 18 shaped to fitybetween the lower end portions of the arms 14 and 15 of the handle bracket of the iron and provided at its lower side with'cross ribs 19 abutting the connectingportions 16 of said bracket for spacing the casing upwardly therefrom in order to prevent too great'a heat transmission from the iron to thecasing bf the transformer. in is formed with lateral ears 2O engaging the side edges of the'bracket arms for holding the casing against lateral movement and upstanding from the casing at its upper side are lugs 21 through which are engaged suitable cap screws threaded into the bracket arms for firmly securing the transformer in position. Suitably mounted in the forward end portion of the casing 18 is a lamp socket 22 in circuit with the secondary coil 35 of the transformer and projecting through the bottom wall of the casing at its rear end portion are spaced spring contacts 23 in circuit withthe primary coil 36 of-the trans- At itgl'ower corners, the casformer. Inthis connection, it may be stated that the transformer may be of any preferred internal construction or placed in the handle or'the body ofthe flat iron instead of in a special casing. Set into the bottom wall of the casing is adielectricblock 24 in sulati'ng the spring contacts with respect to each other and, as willbe best observed upon gure 1 of the drawings, the bonnecti'ng portlon 16 of the handle bracket at its rear end with an opening 25 re eivi g thecontects therethrough. Se-

cured between the pair'of nuts 13 upon the terminal post 12 of the iron is a pair of forwardly projecting spring contacts 26 with which the contacts 23 coact.

At its lower end portion the arm 14 of the handle bracket is provided with a widened straight portion '27 and .formed therethrough is, as particularly shown in Figure 3, an opening 28 having the lamp socket 22 registering therewith. Removably fitting through said opening to engage within the socket is a pilot lamp or signal 29 having the usual bayonet slot connection. with the socket. Struck from a portion 27 of the arm above and below said opening are forwardly directed lugs 30 and held by said lugs to house the pilot lamp is a perforated guard cap 31. At its base, this cap is provided with an annular flange 32 and formed in said flange are oppositely disposed notches 33 adapted to be brought into register with I the lugs 30 so that the cap may be readily applied or removed,fithe lugs 'normally engaging over the flange for firmly holding the cap in position.

As will now be readily understood in view of the preceding description, when the circuit through the heating element of the iron is closed, current will flow through the transformer: for energizing the pilot lamp 29 so that a person using the .iron will, as long as said circuit remains closed, always be apprised of the fact that the current through the iron is turned on. Liability of forgetting the iron when the current is so turned on will thus be greatly minimized and the liability of fire through accidental overheating of the iron accordingly reduced. The bulb of the lamp 29 may be colored red or any other approved distinctive color so that when the lamp is energized the light therefrom will be readily noticeable. Further, attention is particularly directed to the fact that the presence of the pilot lamp upon the iron will not detract from the heating of the heating element of the iron and will in no way affect the efiiciency of the iron.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an electric iron, the combination of circuit posts with a heating element of the relation to the iron. a transformer having a primary and a secondary Winding including contacts of the primary winding coacting with said first mentioned contacts, a casing for said transformer adapted to fit between said arms, said casing having lugs engaging said arms and bolts for holding said arms andcasing together. spacing ribs on the under side ofsaid casing for preveniing heat transmission from the iron to the casing, a lamp socket carried by the casing in circuit with said secondary winding and a pilot lamp engaged in said socket.

3. In an electric iron. the combination or' circuit posts with a heating element of the iron, contacts carried by sa d posts. handle bracket arms carried by the iron in spaced 5 relation to the iron, a transformer having a primary and a secondary winding including contacts of the primary windingcoacting with said first mentioned contacts. acasing for said transformer adapted to fit between said arms, said casing having lugs engaging said arms and bolts for bolding'said arms and-casing together, spacing ribs on the un der side of said casing for preventing heat transmission from the iron to the casing, a lamp socket carried by the casing in circuit with said secondary winding and a pilot lamp engaged in said socket, a cap for said lamp and means for rigidly holding said cap to one of said arms.

tures.

RAY P. FARRELL. 1i 5. CLAUDE E. MOON. [11.8.]

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signa- 

